Dr. G. Bennett's Search for Fossils in Queensland. 315 



as they may be able to collect ; and this has already been done by 

 Mr. G. B. King, first by a fossil crocodile's tooth having been left for 

 me at Gowrie Junction station, on my return from Warwick, and 

 afterwards by the discovery of some fossil jaws with teeth in situ, 

 and an important tradition respecting these extinct animals obtained 

 from one of the aborigines : this was embodied in a letter addressed 

 to me at Ipswich, previously to my departure from Brisbane. The 

 letter is dated 'Gowrie, December 1, 1871,' and is as follows: — 

 ' Since you left we have discovered a few very valuable fossils ; one, 

 apparently belonging to the Diprotodon ?, is almost a complete jaw, 

 Avith aU the molar teeth and the two front teeth similar to those in 

 the lower jaw of the kangaroo as far as position is concerned, but 

 being more round and without the sharp cutting-edges. Another is 

 part of the left side of the lower jaw, seemingly part of the jaw- 

 bone above described, and this has two perfect (molar ?) teeth and 

 one broken tooth ; the others are vertebrae and smaller bones. I 

 have had a long conversation with "Charlie Pierce," an aboriginal, 

 relative to these fossils ; and he avers that they are those of an 

 animal long since extinct, known to the natives by the name of 

 " Gyedarra." Tradition among them has handed down the appear- 

 ance and habits of this animal for generations ; but Charlie says he 

 never paid much attention to the descriptions that have been given 

 to him, but imagines the animal was as large as a heavy draught- 

 horse, walked on four legs, the same as any other four-footed beast, 

 eating grass, never went any distance back from the creeks to feed, 

 and spent most of its time in the water, chiefly in enormous holes 

 excavated in the banks. I told him he must mean some other ani- 

 mal ; but he spoke most positively, and asserted that the bones we 

 have been finding are those of the animal of which he was speaking, 

 and that at one time the bones were very numerous about the 

 Gowrie water-holes, where his forefathers had seen the animals 

 themselves sporting about. I again asked him if they did not live 

 on the leaves of trees ; and his reply was that they were never seen 

 to feed on them, but always on grass, the same as a horse or bullock. 

 I will see if more specimens can be procured, and send them after 

 you to Sydney.' 



" On the 9th of November I left Brisbane for Ipswich by coach, 

 and from Ipswich to Dalby by the railroad, where I arrived at 7 p.m. 

 On the following morning I left Dalby for Jimbour, the station of 

 the Hon. J. P. Bell, who had kindly invited me. There are no fos- 

 sils to be obtained at this and other stations in the vicinity, except 

 when wells are dug. A small jaw with well-preserved teeth was 

 given to me by Mrs. Bell (probably of a kangaroo), which had been 

 found on Jimbour Plains, 140 feet beneath the surface, when dig- 

 ging a well ; a large bone had also been found with it, but was lost. 

 A tusk given by Mrs. Bell to Mr. Anthony Trollope, when \i8iting 

 this place a short time since, was also found on this station when 

 forming another well. At another station near Jimbour, Mr. G. 

 Morris Simpson, of ' Bon Accord,' near Dalby, presented me with 



22* 



